


Lay the Real Thing on Me

by RDcantRead



Series: Fun in Space Oddity [2]
Category: David Bowie (Musician), Queen (Band)
Genre: Cuddling & Snuggling, Dumb boys being dumb, First Kiss, Fluff, Friends With Benefits, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, Hot Space Era, Light Angst, M/M, The others are barely in it, Tickle Fights, fair warning, rating for swearing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-08
Updated: 2019-09-08
Packaged: 2020-10-12 20:14:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,508
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20570210
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RDcantRead/pseuds/RDcantRead
Summary: The first time Roger Taylor and David Bowie met was at Kensington Market in the year 1969.They just keep meeting after that.





	Lay the Real Thing on Me

**Author's Note:**

> Title taken from "Moonage Daydream" by David Bowie

The first time Roger Taylor and David Bowie met was at Kensington Market in the year 1969. They didn’t notice each other that much. And mostly forgot about the experience, minus the pair of boots now owned by David.

The second time they ran into each other was during one of Freddie’s parties, and they talked a bit. Not really enough to get to know each other, but by that point they knew of each other, and they got along quite well.

And they continued meeting throughout the seventies, and soon became good friends, Roger’s admiration for David’s song writing abilities non-withstanding, and talked when they were in the same area, which wasn’t very often, but often enough.

In 1981, they were in Munich at the same time. Freddie had invited David for a visit at the studio they were recording in, and it was a welcome change from the tense atmosphere that was usually found in the studio during the recording of that album.  
They became quite good friends after all that fiasco with Hot Space and having to deal with Brian and John not being able to inhabit the same general area without arguing.

The went out a few times together, nothing special. It got kind of serious when they fucked in the back seat of Roger’s car. They were into each other, but they weren’t really looking for a relationship beyond friends with benefits.

Then it really got fast-paced. Meeting up for drinks, going out for dinner, secret (and not-so-secret) rendezvous, all of it. And Roger liked it, he liked having someone he could speak to about band business that wasn’t part of the band, other than Dom of course, but his best friend was very much a mother hen who butted into everything without the slightest concern for his protests.

And it was amazing, he began looking forward to time spent with David. His initial attraction being cemented by the chemistry they nurtured. The favourite parts of his week were the times he got to see and speak to David.

And these meetings soon escalated to what could be called dates. And that was scary. Roger wasn’t good for commitment. He was made for one night stands, not forever.

He wasn’t looking for something real. He was looking for fun, for something passionate, not loving and smoochy. He didn’t want something like what Jim and Freddie had, or Ronnie and John.

And this lead to Roger’s inevitable breakdown. He was so confused about what was going on between him and David, he didn’t know what to do. He knew David favoured open relationships, and he was open to that, hell, for David he would he open for anything, and that scared him.

Maybe if he stopped talking to David he would get over this ridiculousness. Maybe if he could just stop being so weak he would get over it. Maybe if he weren’t weak in the first place he wouldn’t be in this situation. Maybe...

The first person he called after his, frankly ridiculous, meltdown was Dom. She was safe, reliable, and she was a good friend, despite her tendency to treat him like a child. And he could admit that he sometimes deserved it.

His conversation with Dom was what finally persuaded him to talk to David, her exact words being, “Stop being such a pussy Rog and go after your man.” God, he loved that woman.

So here he was, driving towards David’s house at two in the morning, rain pouring down. His car felt like a prison, choking him and shackling him to the driver’s seat.

Upon arriving at David’s house, he sat in the front seat of his beautiful Alfa Romeo, unable to bring himself to get out. The beat of the rain perfectly complementing the pounding in his head and heart. His breathing was loud and echoed in his ears, the nerves and anxiety tuning out everything else.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, before opening the door and stepping out into the rain. He slammed the door closed and felt his clothes soaking through to his skin, leaving him shivering and cold as he made the hike towards the front door, his converse squelching, heavy from rainwater.

The door opened before he got to knocking, shining a warm yellow-orange light onto the driveway, illuminating Roger’s red eyes and soaked through hair and clothes. David stood in the doorway, his expression worried and his two coloured eyes conveying his concern over Roger’s current appearance.

“What happened?” David’s baritone exclaimed upon seeing the state of Roger, concern shining through his tone. And that one little bit of caring is enough to send Roger into fits of tears, and he can’t calm down, no matter how hard he tried.

Shock registers on David’s face before it’s swiftly covered by a caring expression as he leads Roger into his house, sitting him down on the expansive couch in front of the television and wrapping him up in blankets and towels.

Once he’s calmed down, Roger just stares blankly into the cup of tea in his hands, not looking at David at all. He’s continually suppressing the shaking of his hands, but he can’t stop his feet from tapping out a frantic beat, though it is in time.

He’s beginning to wish that he hadn’t come as an awkward silence permeates the air between them, as Roger refuses to look at David, and David trying to think of something to say to Roger to reveal what was bothering him.

Finally Roger gathers enough courage to speak, breaking the silence, “You-You know how we go out a lot, and-and,” Roger’s speech is filled with repeated words and stutters as he struggles to get the words to come out of his mouth in a way that makes sense, “Are we dating?” His effort at a tactful way to ask the all-important question flops miserably, and he immediately shrinks back into the cushions arranged tastefully on the couch at how blunt his question was.

David appears taken aback at the direction the conversation went after a shaky start. Roger quickly continues speaking, “‘Cause I kind of want us to be, and I really like you, and you're sweet and smart and kind and funny and hot as hell and I kind of want us to be an ‘us’ and I understand if you just want to be friends, or if you don’t want to speak to me ever again, but I just really needed to tell you because I was going crazy, and I really hope you feel the same way.”

Roger’s rambling confession comes to a abrupt stop by the feeling of David’s lips on his, and his hands on his hips. He tentatively brings up his arms to circle David’s neck and begins kissing him back shyly, his insecurities not fully dashed by David’s display of affection.

The mostly chaste kiss ends with their foreheads bumped together as they try to catch their breath, “I do feel the same way,” Bowie confesses, “And if you’ll let me, I’d ask for you to be my boyfriend. Officially.” His voice is still quite breathless and demure, though conviction and honesty shine through, and Roger can’t quite find his voice, instead nodding his head to indicate his acceptance.

The next morning Roger awakens in an unfamiliar bed in a familiar house to the smell of eggs and bacon, the events of the previous night flooding back to him, leaving him smiling to himself in the warmth of the bed in David’s spare bedroom, they weren’t quite ready to share a bed.

The sound of cooking could be heard from downstairs in the kitchen, and Roger quickly got up, excited to see what David was doing. When he steps into the large modern kitchen, he’s greeted by a strong smell of bacon and the sight of David manning the cooker, the sound of the Roger entering prompts David into turning around to see him, and he smiles at Roger warmly, before giving him a chaste kiss to greet him when he comes closer. Distracted momentarily from his cooking, Roger reaches to the plate set up and steals some of the crunchy bacon on the plate and squirms away laughing and eating the bacon.

David shakes his head fondly in reaction to Roger’s antics before he runs after him, leading to a tickle fight on the couch that culminates in David and Roger breathing heavily, David straddling Roger’s waist, chest heaving. They lock eyes and a calm moment washes over both of them before David leans down and kisses him on the lips, their eyes flutter closed as they lose themselves in the feeling that was awakened by each other.

They finally part when they hear the smoke alarm go off reminding them of the breakfast they left on the stove, before collapsing into fits of giggles and smiles. Their eyes displaying their affection for the world, if it was there, in that moment, to see.


End file.
